theliberatorsfandomcom-20200213-history
Golem
Golems, otherwise known as runic automata, rune engines '''or simply (erroneously) as automata '''(singular: automaton) are machines built of various materials, controlled through kinetic runes and powered by the mana of attendant wizards. Originally used for religious purposes in various cultures, golems became widely used in industrial, commercial and military roles from the Late Medieval Period up until the Industrial Revolution, by which time golems had been largely abandoned for more accessible technologies. Golems and golemechanical systems are often cited as being the precursor to modern magi-tec, though golems traditionally do not contain Areum. History The first known instance of a golem exists in Arabic manuscripts that attribute the design to Hero of Alexandria at some point in the early First Century CE. The rune matrices detailed in the manuscript would have allowed a statue of a god or other mythological figure to move its arms and head, as well as magically transmit the voice of its hidden operator. Since then, the practice of placing runic matrices on religious statues to be operated by Type-II priests became relatively common in large population centers across Europe, Asia and North Africa. The knowledge of many such instances has been lost, leading to several reidentifications of ancient statues as golems in religious buildings centuries later. Dwarves have long possessed the technology to create and use golems, thanks in no small part to the prevalence of Type-II individuals among their populations. It is among dwarven kingdoms in the Alps in the Medieval Period that the kinetic rune matrices of golems were expanded upon to allow them to complete certain tasks, such as lifting, hauling, mining, transportation of passengers and handling of hazardous materials. Golems became more mechanically complex as well, with examples from the late Seventeenth Century possessing the ability to compute logical operations, respond to their surroundings autonomously and consisting of over ten thousand moving parts in some instances. In dwarven culture, the ownership of golems (and the skill to control them or wealth to hire attendants) became a status symbol. As such, many golems were built of extravagant materials such as gold, silver, exotic woods, marble and crystal in increasingly detailed and complex designs. Golems fell out of favor in dwarven culture after the advent of clockwork, steam power and electronics. There have been several instances throughout history of golems built for war, though these have largely been unsuccessful due to the inherent weaknesses of complicated rune matrices. Though some golems are fragile, others have survived for centuries into the modern day as heritage pieces in museums. A few still remain in use. The creation of new golems after the 17th century was rare, but several examples of kinetic sculpture are golemechanical. Characteristics In its most basic form, a golemechanical system consists of two or more pieces of solid matter inscribed with kinetic runes. These runes control the motion of other nearby kinetic rune matrices relative to themselves; thus, joints are able to move when powered by an attendant wizard. Advanced engineering with both the shape of component parts and the instructions inscribed into the rune matrices allow for complicated actions, response to environmental stimuli and a variety of other functions. Due to lacking Red Matter, true golems are incapable of true autonomy and must be powered by an attendant Wizard. The degree to which their attention must be focused on the golem depends on the complexity and nature of its rune matrices. It is possible for a trained attendant to operate multiple golems at once. Due to the complex rune matrices and the need for an attendant, golems are ill suited for combat. Rune matrices are easily damaged and tolerance for such damage is typically low. The consequences of a rune matrix being damaged can vary depending on which rune is damaged. Golems must also remain within an attendant's Red Line in order to function. This makes the attendant a priority target for the enemy. List of Notable Instances Category:Magical Items & Artifacts